I find the white SLQ gritty and uneven inside, so sometimes my gouge skips around. I can't carve letters or very curvy lines well on it because random skips and stops end up breaking parts of letters off. But I'm going to use it up for simple stamp purposes. It does straight and slightly curved lines well.

is that a bit too much?

Yes.

I have found a little variability in the SLQ with some minor soft and squishy/extra-elastic pockets at times, but I think it is carving style that makes a difference for the end product of the carve. I often do a lot of lettering and fine detail with SLQ and I don't lose pieces like I have with other 'crumbly' material.

But I think you highlight the challenge for all mediums - each person has to find their style and what works for them with each medium. PZKut white was a joy to carve with and PZKut orange I just started to use when both went off the market. A tester for Webfoot first identified OZ as nearly perfect a replacement for PZKut that they had used, but it is too hard for some to carve with (I find its release of material to be my challenge when gouge carving it, as well as it taking me 30% longer to carve due to hardness - but it gives great detail!). My two cents, master carvers can use most mediums and can make them work IF their carving style matches the mediums' strengths and does not resonate with the mediums' weaknesses. My style fails with super soft or crumbly materials, while others can make stamps look good using these mediums. Ultimately, I don't think there will be a single universal medium everyone loves and that meets everyone's needs, but it would be nice to have five or six types that people can access readily and all combined those meet 90%+ of all the carvers needs out there -newbies to master carvers.

When SLQ runs out, I will have to find another replacement as I did when Pink changed, PZKut changed, etc. Otherwise I will have to switch to refrigerator magnets (talk about hard and gritty!!!) 😉

Gizmo's Gift, my niece, would like a stamp for her foundation's vehicle which goes to various service dog related events. www.gizmosgift.org
I have the image.
I'm asking because she only boxes when she's with me and this stamp is far and above my abilities.
I have white OZ, Pink stuff, Bind it All log books, and various size Knock n' Locks (OSJL knock-offs) for trade.

thank you,
GG (for GG)

Georgia's loss was Alaska's bane, oops, gain.

LMAO @ "McTrinkets". Barely held my coffee in on that one.

I wanted to thank each and every letterboxer who has come to Darke County to hunt letterboxes and visit our fine area. An extra special thanks to any that have come to our events.

As many of you know we use Darke County Park property to host our events and hide our stamps. As volunteers we are fortunate to use this property at no cost. We have always taken this opportunity to give back to the park with donations and wish list items. They have always been extremely appreciative.

The generous and positive influence of visiting letterboxers added to my resume when a position came available within our County. I've been a volunteer for the Park for awhile. I am a member of the Friends of Darke County Parks, as well as a Trustee on their board. All these items considered has granted me the privilege of deeper involvement within Darke County Parks.

The Darke County Parks is managed by a board of three commissioners - one of these commissioners has served for 24 years and retired at the end of December. I was sworn in a few weeks ago as his replacement and started my term as a Darke County Park Commissioner yesterday!!

https://www.earlybirdpaper.com/white-accepts-seat-dcps-commission/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Nightly+Newsletter+from+Bluebag+Media&utm_campaign=Nightly+Newsletter+RSS+Feed

I am so very honored and excited. I wanted to be certain to thank a large group that was VERY influential in my getting where I am today within the Parks. Thank you Letterboxers!! I am still convinced we are the best group of caring and giving people out there!

Have a wonderful and fabulous 2017!!
Tina

I'll be happy to help. AQ mail me.

DZ

Congratulations! Well-deserved. :)

I have found a little variability in the SLQ with some minor soft and squishy/extra-elastic pockets at times...

This is one way in which the colored Chinese stuff seems to be better than the white. Perhaps there's an additional mixing step in which the dye is mixed with the liquid plastic, and this extra step results in the finished product being more uniform in texture. Next time, try some of the yellow-green or some other light color and see if you have the same problems with variability.

If my plan was to spend the day at a state park swimming, hiking, whatnot, having to pay $6 or $8 per carload wouldn't bother me. But when all I wanna do is hunt for a geocache or two and perhaps a letterbox and then move on, that few bucks is a showstopper. So, we generally only hunt caches and boxes in state parks on free admission days.

Indeed! We are all so proud of you :)

Hey, now, wait ... is this a clue?!

Not a footrace, but check this out: http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/a-new-orleans-tribute-to-princess-leia/

Indiana State Parks don't charge admission in the winter. I think admission is free Nov-Feb.

Did you enjoy the day? The trails? The bugs and animals you saw along the way? I do things a bit differently, I guess. When I taught my nieces how to letterbox, I made it clear that they go missing and and there were no guarantees. I let them know that just hanging out and walking together was an experience. It takes longer, and I don't think it's ever not a little disappointing, but finding bones and animals, learning to navigate a map and use a compass -- these are things that go with the territory and can help ease the sting. Sometimes I will say, "You know, this box hasn't been found in awhile. Ready to get dirty? It would be so awesome if we were the ones to find it after all this time." We do photography. We talk. I gave them different expectations for the day. It's also fun to watch as your skills improve.

I do not try to spare them what in the long view of things is a tiny little disappointment. We are not in control of boxes once they are released to the world (although ideally, we would maintain them and their online listings). I think there's a lesson in that which is worth having. If this doesn't appeal to you, you can check comments or finds on the boxes and try to estimate the probability of a box that might have gone missing. Keep in mind, though, that just last weekend, I found several that have gone years without a find and they were alive and well, including one that had a recent failed attempt on it. Some regions are kinder to boxes in the long term than others. My boxes in Challenger 7 park are found by scouts, who routinely leave them uncovered. I have recarved one of the stamps and am in the process of recarving a second one. It's just part of the deal.

As an aside, know that one of those boxes in New Caney of mine is a pin-up! As much as I love having my boxes found, don't do that one with them! Also, when you log them, I (and probably all the others) would like to know which of the several boxes I have in that park have possibly gone missing. Lastly, you have my sympathy. It does sorta suck to have that many missing.

So proud of you, Tina! Thanks so much for all you do for our community, and congrats on your appointment! I hope this means that we are "in" to have many, many more fun events in Darke County! :-)

Diane- have you heard anything a yet?

Here are some guesses I have since its bases on historical places:

Sherwood Island
Nachaug Forest (Gen. Lyon birthplace)
Nathaniel Hale State Forest
Fort Trumball or Fort Shantauk
Gillette Castle

I don't know much about Western CT state parks. Anyone else have any guesses?

Thank you all !!

Yes, this means continued and possibly increased letterboxing and events in Darke County Parks. I already asked and my appointment makes no changes to our current setup. If anything it hopefully will strengthen it.

This is so cool! Congrats Tina! See ya in June with a bunch a stuff for the Prairie.

I sent a private AQ-mail about how proud of you I am but wanted to publicly acknowledge how excited for you I am!!

I was wondering if anyone has a go to source for wood blocks for stamp mounting.

I found a site online that seems to be pretty darn reasonable. They have 2 grades of wood. Has anyone tried them? I am thinking about placing an order, but I wasn't sure which to order.

http://www.woodforrubberstamps.com/shopping.html

**Don't worry wood mounting opponents, these wouldn't be released into the wild so warping and difficulty stamping on the fly won't apply.

Congratulations, Tina! More of us need to be as giving and selfless as you are. What an asset you will be to the park system.

Yes, Honeymoon Island State Park, I think the Ranger told us it was #1 busiest. But only a few people on the actual trails. People just go to the beach. Sadly, because we saw Osprey, owls and an eagle! It does have a wonderful dog beach, though!

A lot of the money goes towards beach sand replenishment. As soon as they spend $1 million on pumping in sand, we get a big storm and lose it all.

So I don't mind the $8 fee to fight nature, but I was just hoping for once a year, a freebie. Maybe they have it on another day. I'll have to check.

Hmmmm.. I have no idea if our state Park has a stamp....

I know all the lighthouses do. I just got 2 cool ones from St Augustine lighthouse.

Veteran's Day is traditionally the free day for FPS. :)

And yes, there are stamps! They're usually at the ranger station. Ask for the passport stamp. some parks have extra stamps for fun. Land of Mermaids (cuz I can't spell Weeki Watchi right) has a mermaid in addition to the standard park name stamp we all have.

I would pay for an annual pass if my family liked going to parks and camping, but they don't. We literally hadn't been to a FL state park in 3 years.

Most if the bigger parks here are free or cost $2, including one that has some cute cabins. I'm actually going to look into those... no lake to canoe in, though, at that park. But it's not so busy. It's quiet. Good for bike rides and walks, that's about it.

Sometimes for mystery type boxes, I put a city in the location so that it will show up in searches for a specific area. Then in the clues, I say, this box may or may not be in XXXX city. That will narrow down the area to a certain perimeter but not tell them exactly where it is.

Unfortunately, when I did that recently the AQ map put a pin exactly on a park in the middle of the city and its the wrong park. So that's confusing some people who didn't see or solve my clue/puzzle accurately.

WAIT! I have a box planted there! Were you looking for my box?

Putnam Park, revolutionary war camp site. (Oh and dibs)